2nd Degree Murder Charges Filed in Deadly South Mpls. Shooting

Fifty-nine-year-old Rico Patrick Howard of Minneapolis has been charged with second-degree murder for the death of Kenneth Madison of Minneapolis.

Around 11:40 p.m., Friday officers found Madison with a gunshot wound at an apartment on the 2700 block of Blaisdell Avenue South, according to the criminal complaint. Officers found Madison unresponsive but still breathing on the floor of the kitchen. Officers turned him over and found a blood spot on his shirt and a gunshot wound near his chest. Madison was taken to the hospital where he died around 2:45 a.m. Saturday.

According to the criminal complaint, two people at the scene denied knowing anything about the shooting and said Madison was shot at a different location. They said Madison staggered to their house, and they called police. The pair later changed their story and admitted they were present when Howard and another man came into the apartment and started arguing with Madison.

Prosecutors say Howard pulled out a handgun and shot the victim in the chest. Howard then took the shell casing and threatened the others at the apartment before leaving, the complaint states.

Police arrested Howard Sunday morning as he was allegedly trying to flee the state. Officers received a tip he was boarding a bus bound for Los Angeles, according to the criminal complaint. They found out Howard had a one-way ticket to L.A. and $5,000 in cash. He had no personal belongings and no baggage on him.

Officers arrested Howard on the bus and took him to Hennepin County jail, where he remains in custody.

This isn’t the first time Howard has fled from police. Back in 2000, Howard caused a crash and refused to stop for police. Howard ran a stop sign and hit another car, according to the criminal complaint.

Twenty-eight-year old Jennifer Stebleton died, and a passenger was injured in that crash.

Howard initially pleaded guilty to murder, but he was eventually sentenced for fleeing police in 2003. He was released in 2011.